# Ward Cleaver's Occupation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241 "2001-06-18T19:06:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/21 "2011-01-31T15:51:27Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society, a forum that did not exist when this zombie last saw the light of day. **twickster** , who has two separate job titles, each with its own email address, and does mysterious things involving writing, editing, project management, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/22 "2011-01-31T18:59:00Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > There was an episode where Ward finds his old Seabees trunk. Tells Beaver about being in the Seabees. > > I always thought he was an Architect or some kind of construction engineer. It seems unlikely he would have been in the Seabees unless he had construction experience prior to the war. He could possibly have been an engineer, although Seabees were (and are) enlisted. The officers they work for are part of the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC). Ward could have gotten an engineering degree post-military through the GI Bill, however. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/23 "2011-01-31T19:40:19Z")
How come the Bradys only had 3 bedrooms but had the cash for a live in housekeeper? They should have fired Alice and bought a bigger house. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/24 "2011-01-31T19:49:30Z")
> [@Road\_Rash](#): > > The “My Three Sons” dad was an engineer. Not the railroad type. [Aeronautical](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Three_Sons), according to the Wikipedia article. I had no clue whatsoever when I watched the show as a kid. In hindsight it’s little short of amazing how successful the writers were at keeping work and career issues out of the plot. Or possibly all that just went over my head given that I was eight years old or so. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/25 "2011-01-31T19:56:46Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Serial killer, and possibly cult leader. > > Seriously, go back and look at how many characters departed from the show in sudden and mysterious ways, with explanations provided by Douglas that wouldn’t hold up to the light of day to an actual investigation, starting with the off-screen death of Steven Douglas’ wife. The abrupt departure from fictional Chicago suburb Bryant Park to North Hollywood just after the suspicious and never-again to be referenced departure of the oldest Douglas son and kidnapping of the neighbor child Ernie just goes with the pattern of controlling, manipulative sociopaths. Although Douglas later takes a “beard” wife and adopts the daughter into this increasingly tenuous family, only the most obtuse viewer can fail to acknowledge that cast members have disappeared with frightening regularity, often to be mentioned rarely, as “building a bridge in Peru”, “In the Army”, if at all. > > Stranger And when he was much younger, he helped Barbara Stanwyck get rid of her husband! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/26 "2011-01-31T19:57:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > As long as this zombie has been resurrected… > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9dKYxkYYXM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9dKYxkYYXM) > > (NB: He’s eating Weetabix.) Did he mix it into blood to give the blood texture? ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/27 "2011-01-31T19:59:55Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > …read the paper, look swell in a cardigan, and bang the hell out of Barbara Billingsley? What more does one need for happiness in life? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/28 "2011-01-31T20:02:16Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > What more does one need for happiness in life? 🙂 In fact, forget the paper and the cardigan! ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/29 "2011-01-31T20:13:41Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > They also never said what Ozzie did. And what did the **My Three Sons** dad do? Ozzie Nelson was quite a well-known band leader in his day. He actually got into radio, and later TV, because he didn’t want to be away from his family. I don’t think anyone of my parents generation would have assumed he was anything other than a band leader. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/30 "2011-01-31T20:15:43Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > He could possibly be a pimp… He did spend a lot of time looking for beaver. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/31 "2011-01-31T20:15:59Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > … > And then there is poor Gilligan, the designated fall guy who was always so curiously placed in a linchpin role to foil the characters’ plans for escape. And who placed him in that role or saw to it that Gilligan would be in a position to appear responsible for failure? Could it be the same character that had the only private hut on the island? > > Stranger [Gilligan’s character explained](http://www.skypoint.com/members/camilian/humor/Gilligan.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/32 "2011-01-31T20:22:33Z")
Ward Cleaver and all the Cleavers were in the Witness Protection Program. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/33 "2011-01-31T20:27:45Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > They also never said what Ozzie did. Ozzie never did anything. He was always home. The original plan was that he’d be in advertising, but they never showed him going to work, so that was dropped. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/34 "2011-01-31T20:37:56Z")
I seem to recall an episode of LitB where some old man was being forceably retired from Ward’s office. Hijinks ensued, with the plot being resolved with the old man and Wally teaming up to open their own “office.” While I was watching this episode, I don’t recall a single mention of what type of work occurred at the office (other than it being white-collar work). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/35 "2011-01-31T21:05:43Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > How come the Bradys only had 3 bedrooms but had the cash for a live in housekeeper? They should have fired Alice and bought a bigger house. Wait a minute. Three bedrooms. Mike and Carol in one. Greg, Peter, and Bobby in the second one. Marcia, Jan, and Cindy in the third. Where does Alice sleep? On a hide a bed in the rec room? Or the living room sofa? Surely she didn’t sneak off to sleep with Sam the butcher? Was that ever explained? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/36 "2011-01-31T21:21:37Z")
Alice had a tent in the backyard. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/37 "2011-01-31T21:29:27Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Wait a minute. Three bedrooms. Mike and Carol in one. Greg, Peter, and Bobby in the second one. Marcia, Jan, and Cindy in the third. Where does Alice sleep? On a hide a bed in the rec room? Or the living room sofa? Surely she didn’t sneak off to sleep with Sam the butcher? Was that ever explained? According to my book of TV floorplans she lived in the maid’s room off the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/38 "2011-01-31T21:32:06Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Alice had a tent in the backyard. ..until she went crazy, served Tiger for dinner, & moved into the doghouse. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/39 "2011-01-31T21:37:39Z")
Ward Cleaver deals in “wetwork.” The office is just a front and actual accounts are settled with sniper rifles. One day the friendly competition with Fred Rutherford won’t be so friendly. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241/40 "2011-01-31T21:37:53Z")
Did anybody think it was odd that the Huxtable’s didn’t have a housekeeper? He is a doctor and she is a partner at her law firm. I would think that somebody coming in twice a week to clean would be the minimum. One billable hour a month would pay for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ward-cleavers-occupation/69241.md?page=3)